Deer

Growing deer populations that encroach on urban areas may conflict with gardeners who are understandably frustrated by damage to plants, flowers and shrubs. Here we deal with the most common deer species in lowland gardens: fallow, roe and muntjac. The most effective way to keep deer out is a 2 metre high deer fence. Diversion planting is an alternative, as are specialist deterrent sprays, but the problem with sprays is that you will always have to keep renewing them.

How to Prevent Entry

There is only one really effective, long-term, low maintenance way of excluding deer from a specific area and that is fencing.

Here are the minimum specifications for deer fences:

Muntjac: Mesh size, 75mm x 75mm; height 1.5m

Roe: Mesh size, 200mm x 150mm; height, 1.5m

Fallow: Mesh size, 220mm x 200mm; height, 1.5m

The smaller the mesh (hole) size the more steel is used in manufacture, therefore the heavier the roll, therefore the more expensive it is.

Deer fencing supplied and erected should cost around £6 to £10 per metre run complete with posts. The more corners and gates the more expensive it will be. However, properly erected with good quality materials it should last for 20 years and it will exclude deer.

Tree Guards:

Tree guards do work very well and give good protection for long enough to allow the tree to grow beyond the stage where it is vulnerabe to deer damage. Use 1.2m guards against Roe and 1.5m against Fallow.

Deer Deterrents:

There are a number of deterrents on the market, but none give long-term protection. Here are some that may have some effect and some that will have no effect.

Feeding repellents:

Products such as Scuttle, Curb and Aaprotect, although expensive, do have some success in low-density deer situations. They do require re-application after periods of heavy rain, or three month intervals.

Visual and Sonic deterrents:

Sonic deterrents, do not work.
Visual deterrents, such as security lights and water sprays may have some success.

Scent and smell repellents:

Renardine; does not appear to work in trials.
Human hair hung in tights, mothballs, lion dung, creosote, human urine and scented soap have all been trialled with limited to zero effectiveness.

Meaningful long-term, cost effective deer exclusion can only be achieved with good quality fences or tree guards of sufficient height.